Disturbance
by KSTapp
Summary: Matthew's POV from meeting Diana and their relationship
1. Chapter 1

Disturbance

To quote a movie the humans seemed fond of, there was a disturbance in the force. My heightened senses feeling it and so was my blood. I made it to the courtyard outside the library trying to pick up what had caused the disturbance, when I heard the conversation between two witches. Well, actually it was more of a one sided conversation. And the side which was conversing was annoyingly whiney.

There was a smell of burnt flesh which appeared to be coming from the blond witch who was cradling one hand in the other. How had she burnt her hand in the library? Which Ashmole had she been looking at when it had happened? Could it be Ashmole 782? I had been looking for that book for over a century.

I did my research as any good academic would do and found out who the witch was: Diana Bishop. She had written a couple of books which were quite well written. Something drew me to her. Something other than her ability to call up a book which had been missing for years. Something other than the sweet scent of her blood. But I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

She was powerful. I could feel her power from a distance. It was even greater when I stood in front of her. I recalled seeing her rowing so I knew she had strength. This wisp of a woman who was startled by my presence yet not afraid, even though she knew I was a vampire.

It appeared that I was not the only creature interested in Diana Bishop. Although I was possibly the only creature who was interested in her for more than her ability to summon Ashmole 782. This was confusing me more than the book's choice on whom it would reveal itself to. According to her, she didn't use her powers often, so I doubted she had bewitched me. At least not on purpose or in a magical way.

For someone who didn't use her powers, it surged off of her. Perhaps she didn't have control of her power. Something she denied vehemently. In fact she seemed uncomfortable with having powers at all.

I had seen her reach for a book and her have it leap off the shelf at her. The burn on her hand still smelt fresh even a day later. Something about her called to the book and I would need her help to read the book if I was to help my species and others survive. And yet she didn't seem keen on helping me. That in itself wasn't unusual. Vampires and witches had never been exactly friendly.

Without her help, I couldn't look at Ashmole 782. It had been waiting for her, so there had to be something special about her. Her lineage was impressive. It went back to the first witch burnt at the Salem witch trials but I doubted that was the reason the book was drawn to her.

I had given her my card after checking the burn on her hand without being obvious. It was a strange shaped burn. But she had been direct and dismissive so I left her to her research.

However that didn't stop me from keeping an eye on her. And she busted me on it. I decided to be upfront with her and warned her to be careful. I only hoped she listened to my warning. She had more to fear from her own kind, than from me and mine.

Determined not to look as though I was stalking her, I decided to do some of my research at the library. It was immediately noticeable that there were a number of witches there. Clearly they were there for Diana Bishop. She obviously wasn't comfortable with my presence as she left soon after finding me there. And yet I couldn't help but wonder if it was only my presence and not the abundance of witches that had driven her away.

I waited for her to go rowing before searching her rooms, but found nothing unusual. It was getting dark so I went down to where I knew she kept her boat. She seemed unaware of how strange it was that the book had appeared to her or how many creatures wanted to get their hands on it or how dangerous it was to be out alone this late.

Intending to walk away from her I made the mistake of picking up the jacket she had dropped earlier. The smell of her on it made my mouth water. It was all I could do to stay still as she walked past and away from me. I waited there in the night air long enough for her to get home before leaving her jacket in her mail box. Still she had not seemed to fear me, at best she seemed curious.

There was nothing else I could do, I needed to leave town until I was certain I could control myself around Diana Bishop. It wasn't going to be enough to just stay away from her rooms or the library. I needed to go somewhere I could hunt. The problem was, could I stay away?


	2. Chapter 2

Resisting the Urge

Hamish meets me at the house which I didn't expect. I'm less than cordial with him which he rebuffs with humour. This is why we're friends. A vampire and a demon. His humour fades a little when I tell him that I'm craving a witch. But then he's happy to drive while I hunt since I clearly need to.

He wishes me good hunting and waits for me to return. The thrill of the chase alone helps. The sound of the creature's heartbeat just before I attack is ecstasy. This is what I needed.

I make sure I thank Hamish when I get back to the car. He agrees that it's best that I keep away from Diana Bishop. But how can I when she is the only one who can get to the book that could save us all?

Hamish is as anxious as I am to locate Ashmole 782 but I'm concerned that I have put her in even more danger by asking her about it. As if her being able to call up the book didn't already put her in danger. Every creature in the general vicinity will be looking for it and word will spread fast that someone has seen it. Even faster that it was a witch.

Over chess, Hamish makes some good points. He knows too much about my past not to. He knows Diana is different, he can see it in my face. I need to get back to Oxford to protect her. Hamish warns me to be careful. He's right. I would never forgive myself if I hurt her. I still carried the guilt from the other women I had gotten involved with and those ended badly enough. How did she get under my skin so quickly?

When I get back to my rooms, she's there. Not what I expected after our last encounter. Especially when she had distinctly told me she never wanted to see me again. Perhaps that would have been for the best. She looks relieved to see me but her adrenaline is beating at me. What has happened while I've been away? It is heartbreaking that she has no one she can turn to. To the point that she had come to me as she can't trust people she thought of as friends.

Peter Knox is in Oxford which isn't good but Diana seems determined to keep the book out of his hands which I take as a good sign. There's another witch who she is uncertain of as well. She doesn't fear either of them but she wouldn't trust them as far as she could throw them and judging from the power I can feel coming off of her, it would be pretty far. She at least listens to why I want the book.

Because of this she allows me to take her to my lab after I loan her my coat. Marcus unsettles her slightly but she still shows no fear. I have to focus on the computer screen as those blue eyes of hers seem to be reading me. Something I've been told in the past is almost impossible, but Diana Bishop feels as though she is looking into my very soul. Not even my late wife was able to do that.

I walk her back to her rooms, so aware of her scent and her blood which sings to me loud enough to rival the best opera singer. She's easy to talk to, intelligent too. She doesn't have the same opinions of us that Peter Know does, in fact she seems to be highly offended by Knox's thoughts on vampires. I go to leave once I've walked her to her door, but she beckons me back with what she saw in the book. I can't help myself, I kiss the pulse at her wrist and feel it quicken. At least I'm not the only one affected by what appears to be surging between us. It takes everything in me to walk away from her.

The bright side of all of this is, the more Peter Knox tries to get her to call up the book again, the more determined Diana is that he won't get it. He made the mistake of telling her what he wanted it for, thinking she would share his beliefs. How wrong he was. Clearly he knew nothing about Diana Bishop. I had picked up on her stubbornness the moment I met her. Her sheer determination and the ability to make up her own mind and not be bullied into someone else's bigoted beliefs.

I left her with my coat she has borrowed. I won't be able to wear it again without smelling her on it. The things I feel when I'm around her, I haven't felt in years if ever. I didn't know that I could still feel for a warm blood what I am feeling for her. The craving hasn't stopped, but I feel as though I have it under control. But only just.

Hamish was right to warn me, but I'm not sure I can stay away from Diana. It's more than just the craving. My rarely beating heart almost skips when I'm near her. I have the uncontrollable urge to keep her safe from everything and everyone. What have I gotten myself into?


	3. Chapter 3

Daytrip and Dinner

My day had begun with me intending to join Diana at the library. But the moment I walked in there, I realised that Diana wouldn't be able to get any work done with the number of creatures waiting for her to call up the book. So I came up with a Plan B.

I waited for Diana to appear from her rooms at the front gate. She seemed pleased to see me and interested in my invitation to spend the day elsewhere. I hadn't realised until that moment how much I wanted to spend time with her. The whiney redheaded witch turning up trying to convince Diana to stay away from me only encouraged Diana to do the opposite. I couldn't help but be smug when she got into my car. Diana still felt the witch's betrayal as a fresh wound. My dislike of Gillian was only heightened by her betrayal of Diana.

Taking Diana to my home may not have been the best idea, but the way her face lit up and her incessant questions made it worthwhile. Her delight in my collection of books and my incessant name dropping was more than I had hoped for. The more I watched her, the more I saw that her power was constantly used but strongest when she needed it most. Diana, of course denied that was the case, but changed her mind once she thought about it.

She was so easy to be with that I hadn't realized the time was flying by. Perhaps this hadn't been such a bad idea after all. Her invitation to dinner was a surprise. Even now I'm not sure why I said yes or if it was my wisest decision. I had a conference to attend so I tasked Marcus with watching that Diana wasn't bothered by other creatures. I warned my son of the consequences if any harm came to her while on his watch. So I was surprised to get back to the lab the following afternoon to find Miriam taking Diana's blood. Something I took over doing immediately. I didn't want another's scent on her not even my son's or lab assistant.

It had been years if not decades since I had been invited to dinner by a woman. I was no longer sure what the rules were. I took some wine but was uncertain if I should also take flowers. Miriam helped me make the decision when she alerted me to the fact she had noticed that I was craving Diana. I hadn't realised that I was being so obvious. No flowers. This was not a date. It was just two colleagues have dinner together. Who was I kidding?

The meal was delicious. Diana had clearly done her homework and got some details from Marcus this morning. I couldn't resist teasing her on some of her misconceptions of vampires. I also showed off a little. Ok, I showed off a lot but she didn't seem to mind.

Diana's curiousness took a dangerous turn when she asked what she would taste like. I cautioned her, even tried to scare her a little, but then she kissed me. This woman had no fear. She was so sure that she had nothing to fear from me, that I would never hurt her. It was all I could do not to respond. I needed to get out of there now, so I thanked her for dinner and all but ran into the night air. It took me all night to regain my composure. What was this woman doing to me?

Realising I should apologise for my behaviour, I headed back to Diana's rooms the next morning only to find the door open, Diana gone and some disturbing photos on the coffee table. Who sent those photos to her? The woman in the photos had some of the same features as Diana. She must be Diana's Mother. Where was Diana though? The library. She had to be at the library.

I felt Diana's distress from the courtyard. I raced inside the library expecting to race to her defense. Witch Wind was not what I expected to encounter. Especially since no Witch had conjured it in years. Diana clearly had no control over it but it was definitely coming from her. She needed to calm down and breathe. I threw myself to where she was lying gasping for breath and crawled against the wind to pull her into my arms. She seemed to calm and with it the Witch Wind faded away.

Her concern for Sean was disconcerting but I was relieved she didn't give the Witches, who had clearly confronted her, a second thought. I called Marcus to take care of Sean, but my only concern was for Diana.

The Witch Wind had drained her energy and I practically carried her back to her rooms and tucked her into bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. I could have watched her sleep for hours but there were plans to make. We couldn't stay in Oxford. It wasn't safe for Diana.

The Witches would be licking their wounds and regrouping. I needed to take Diana somewhere they couldn't get to her. There was only one place and I couldn't send her there alone. I began making the arrangements and packed a bag for Diana. Keeping busy was the only thing stopping me from tracking Peter Knox and ripping his throat out.

When Marcus arrived it would give me a chance to go after Knox. But for once Marcus was the voice of reason. His suggestion was to drop Diana off with Hamish but that would not be safe enough. Sept-Tours was the only place the witches would not try to strike at Diana. Marcus thought it was a bad idea, but it wasn't up to him. I needed to keep her safe with every fibre of my being.

Marcus stayed with Diana while I packed my own bag and made preparations and a phone call. Although I was not gone long from Diana's side, it felt like years. I should have heeded Hamish's warning and stayed away. Now I didn't know if that was possible. She was still sleeping when I returned but I felt as though I had lost so much time with her and it made my rarely beating heart ache.

It was hours later that Diana finally woke. When I informed her of my plans to get her out of Oxford, Diana immediately thought to go home to her Aunts. I knew that would be the first place Knox would look. I wasn't sure how much she knew about my Mother or Sept-Tours but I was guessing not a lot.

Before I could stop myself I was leaning into kiss her. I gave her a moment to stop me if she chose to, but the taste of her was exquisite. Her response to me was equal to my response to her. Unlike at dinner, I would not run from her. This time she was coming with me.

Diana showered and changed before we locked up her rooms and headed for Sept-Tours. She was putting so much trust in me; I only hoped that I didn't let her down.


	4. Chapter 4

Home to Mother

My Mother's reaction when I called her and told her that I was bringing a witch home was icy at best. She still suffered the loss of my Step-father Philippe, even after all this time. She blamed witches for his death and now, here I was bringing one into our home. She had made it perfectly clear that she thought I had lost my mind. Perhaps I had. It seemed to be a common opinion amongst my family.

Diana must have sensed the approaching tension as she asked if my Mother knew she was coming. My response must have given something away as Diana didn't appear to be reassured. Still, there was no getting around it. Nowhere else would be safe. No Witch would dare come on our land.

Ysabeau's greeting was as frosty as a winter's morning but boarding on polite. Diana however was nothing but polite. My insistence at Diana sleeping in my tower went down like a tonne of bricks. At least Marthe was friendly towards her. I guess that was to be expected considering the circumstances.

I hadn't expected my Mother's resistance to using Philippe's office due to Diana's presence, but I probably should have. There was something off with the photos Peter Knox had sent Diana. They were staged but why? I didn't want to look into it near Diana and distress her more than she was already. Looking at them in my tower, there was I good chance that Diana couldn't stumble upon me and I didn't want that if I didn't have any answers to give her regarding her Parent's deaths.

Especially when I uncovered evidence that witches were behind Diana's Parents deaths. Now wasn't the time to break the news to her. Instead when I heard her moving around my room, I gave her a tour of the towers. I hadn't anticipated how observant she would be in respect to Philippe's death and my Mother's disregard for her.

Hoping to distract her, I suggested going for a ride. The joy on her face and in her laughter as we rode was infectious. I felt myself relaxing and enjoying myself as well. But upon returning, she insisted on leaving and going to stay with her Aunts. It left me with no other choice but to tell her the truth about her Parents death. She took it well considering.

I gave her some space and headed back to Philippe's office only to find my Mother looking through the photos I had left behind and what I had discovered. She seemed almost disappointed that Diana wasn't falling apart and ready to go on a rampage as she had when Philippe had died. I just wished she would give Diana a chance and not judge her based on another's actions.

Dinner was uncomfortable with all of the tension. Still after a few wines the frostiness seemed to ease. Diana's joyous response to the room brought back pleasant memories for Ysabeau and dancing softened her further. We had celebrated many an event in that room. But it was Diana's response to our dance which was extraordinary. She glowed. Literally.

It was a joy to see her enjoying her powers instead of fearing them. I told her as much when we took a walk around the grounds. I was drawn to her. If I didn't know better I would have thought someone had put a spell on me. Yet her response to my kiss and the shock on her face when I asked what spell she had put on me, told me that she was feeling this too and it was no spell. She didn't shrink from my cold touch, she leaned into it.

Dominico's appearance put a stop to all that. I hadn't counted on Knox going to the council. I had incorrectly assumed he would want to keep his dirty laundry hidden but the congregation knew about the Book of Life so clearly he hadn't been careful.

Unfortunately neither had I. Dominico saw my feelings for Diana clearly. He knew this wasn't just about the Book of Life anymore. He had also mentioned the covenant. I was going to have a lot of explaining to do not only to Diana but also my Mother. Fortunately my Mother was better at covering her surprise better than Diana.

Despite my feelings for Diana, I would need to leave. I would love to tell the Congregation where to shove the covenant and go back to kissing Diana, but it wasn't to be. My Mother would keep her safe and I would go back to Oxford. We would not break the covenant. It was the only way to keep Diana and my family safe. I had no doubt that Baldwin was having a fit about my bringing Diana to Sept-Tours and not telling him about the Book of Life.

Diana didn't see things the same way. It appeared Marthe had explained a few things while I was dealing with Dominico. I supposed it saved me having to explain it. My heart skipped when she told me that she loved me. It was said with such conviction and it had been so long since anyone had said it to me. My phone ringing incessantly helped me avoid going back on my decision and blurting out that I loved her too.

The lab had been broken into. Nothing appeared to have been taken but instinct told me they were after Diana's blood work, whoever they were. I would know more when I got back. Miriam hadn't relayed many details as always she was blunt and to the point. Diana wouldn't accept my decision. In fact she demanded that I tell her how I fell about her, something I managed to resist. And even as I drove away from Sept-Tours, she was still following me. It broke my rarely beating heart to see her cry and know that I was the cause of her pain. The rain fell from the night sky as though it shared her sorrow. But my going would be best for everyone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Can't Stay Away From You**

The drive back from Sept-Tours seemed to take so much longer than the trip there with Diana by his side. He already missed her but at least he knew she would be safe. There was no guarantee she would be if he stayed there with her. Ysabeau had given her word that she would keep Diana safe as he had asked and his Mother had never broken her word to him. Of course that didn't mean Ysabeau wouldn't be creative about how she kept her word.

Miriam and Marcus were there to meet him when he got back. As they had told him on the phone, nothing had been taken. But the moment he walked into the lab, he knew who had broken into the lab. He recognised the scent. This was about Diana. And Miriam knew about his feelings for Diana. She had mated before. She knew the signs, but he couldn't be concerned about that right now.

He turned and walked out of the lab with Miriam yelling after him. He had no doubt who was behind this. He tracked the whiney redhead until he found her. Unlike Diana, she was terrified of him, but tired to hide it. Unsuccessfully. Of course all of her bias against vampires largely came from what she had been convinced of by Knox. She had denied being jealous of Diana, but it was so obvious that she was practically turning green with jealously.

The moment he bit into her it all became clear. This witch was easily led. Any excuse which became readily available to blame others for her short-comings rather than accept responsibly for them, herself. She would turn her back on anyone who showed her kindness in an instant if it meant getting her something she wanted or gaining attention from a more powerful witch. She had taken photos in the lab with her phone when she couldn't break into the computers or lab equipment. Her phone was coming with him. Gillian, he left where she dropped.

When he went to see Hamish, he admitted everything, certain that it would come back to bite him but he needed to tell someone and he knew he could trust Hamish. He told him how Diana had told him that she loved him, but how he just thought he was her latest project. How could she possibly love him when he had done the things he had done?

Obviously his own feelings for Diana were clear for Hamish to see. Hamish even went so far as to reassure him that despite him knowing all too well what Matthew had done in his past, he still loved him so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Diana would still love him when she found out. Hamish even encouraged him to not let anything stand in his way if he really loved Diana. Perhaps Hamish was right.

Being so far away from Diana was more difficult than he had anticipated. Who knew what his Mother was telling her in his absence. He tried to keep himself busy at the lab, but he couldn't stop himself from calling her. He needed to hear her voice, to reassure himself that she was safe. As always she asked questions that he didn't want to answer and worry her, so he said good night and went back to work. But it was difficult. He decided to take a different approach and compared the actual physical data with other witches to see if he could unravel the mystery behind Diana's DNA and why she was different not to mention so powerful without knowing it.

It was what he was doing when Miriam came in the next morning or rather going over what he had discovered. She was as stunned as he had been when the results came through. Leaving Miriam to re-run the tests, he headed back to Sept-Tours to let Diana know the results and more.

She met him when he arrived. A look of hope on her face. Making one more effort to let her know just what she was getting herself into, he told her what she had been waiting to hear. He loved her. It felt almost freeing just to say the words. To hold her in his arms again. His Mother was not pleased, but accepted Diana as her daughter and their fight as her own. She had known before he had left just how deep his feelings for Diana ran.

Telling Diana that she had every elemental marker known to a witch answered some of Diana's questions about her magic. Particularly about the witch wind and witch water. But not why they were only just showing themselves. They would face whatever came next together. One thing was for sure, Knox was not going to give up trying to use Diana to get the book or Matthew suspected her powers. Any further discussion was pushed aside when Diana decided she didn't want to talk any longer and kissed him. He was only too happy to put the subject of her returning to Oxford on hold. When she kissed him, he could barely remember his own name.

Still, he wanted to give her the ability to be able to walk away and not be tied to him. Bundling: the practice of sleeping fully clothed with another person, as a former local custom during courtship. Perhaps they could bring the present and the past together and meet somewhere in between. All he knew was that he needed to be as close to her as possible. There was no way he could leave her now. They were as one, but she could still leave him. He wanted to make sure she still had the choice.

"What does the distinguished historian know about bundling?" Better to test the waters first despite her declaration of love. He wanted to be sure.

Diana was familiar with the term but thought it was a bit old fashioned. That seemed to fly out the window when she looked at him and saw he was serious. It seemed to light a spark in her and she couldn't seem to get his shirt off fast enough, despite him warning her that she might not like what she saw.

His battle scars didn't repulse her as he had thought they might. Instead she traced them with her lips and fingertips, easing the remembered pain of receiving every wound, vowing to hunt down anyone who had ever hurt him. He thanked God on the spot for sending him this incredible, warm woman.

Technically they weren't bundling. His shirt was long gone. They weren't doing anything close to sleeping. Her breathy gasps breaking the silence as his fingers worked their own type of magic between her legs, but over clothes. He was hard as a rock just from the sounds which were coming from her. Her hand reached up to anchor her in his hair as he hit the magic spot.

"I don't think that's bundling." Diana chuckled while trying to catch her breath.

Busted. "It is in France." It had been a while since he had laughed with a woman he was in bed with. He was concerned that she might be cold, but she merely snuggled closer. Her warmth seeping into him.

He had missed this. Being close to a woman, being in love. Enjoying just holding each other in the quiet. Being apart from Diana had been more of a strain on him than he had realised. He was exhausted and fell asleep with Diana in his arms. They had all the time in the world. As he had promised her, when her life came to an end so would his.


	6. Chapter 6

**Gone**

I had woken surprised. Not only had I slept, but I had slept so soundly that I hadn't sensed Diana getting out of bed. It was only when I realised I couldn't hear her heartbeat that I began to worry. It seemed pointless to call out for her but I did so anyway. If I couldn't hear her heartbeat, she certainly couldn't hear me calling her.

The sound of a helicopter overhead alerted me to the fact that something could be wrong. My fear for Diana's safety increased when the helicopter landed in the grounds of Sept-Tours and I sensed my Brother's presence. Baldwin being there could only mean the congregation wanted to get their hands on Diana. Perhaps they already had.

Quickly throwing on some clothes, I went to find out what my Brother had done to Diana. I knew she would not have left me willingly. Even if he wasn't personally responsible for her absence, he knew something.

Clearly my Brother thought he had the upper hand here being the head of our family. But Ysabeau was no more pleased to see Baldwin at Sept-Tours than I was. We would not be ordered to heel. It certainly wasn't in Ysabeau's nature and Baldwin knew that.

"What's the congregation done with her?" I was going to wipe that smug look off of my Brother's face for once and for all. "Where is she?" I grabbed him by the throat and threw him on the table, sinking my teeth in his neck. "I'll kill you if you've harmed her. Where is she?"

"If I knew where she was, I'd have taken her back to Venice already." Baldwin didn't even try to hide his reason for being here. There was little relief in knowing that he hadn't taken her though.

Any further threats were put on hold with Marthe's arrival. "It's Diana. I caught her scent in the garden. It's with another. Someone else was here." Marthe's words followed me as I raced outside. "She's gone."

The others followed me outside. "This is where the scent ends." That was the problem. It just came to an abrupt stop. "How can that be?" Confusion had briefly overcome my rage.

Baldwin pointed to the sky. "That would take a rare witch." Something Ysabeau knew better than anyone.

"It's possible." Baldwin had known his fair share of witches as well.

"They flew." I wasn't sure Diana knew how to fly so it had to be the ability of the other witch.

"No witch has violated the Claremont territory before." Baldwin spoke as though no one had ever considered it, but he and I both knew that wasn't true. "They wouldn't dare. It would start a war between the species." Now he was just trying to convince himself.

"Vampires and witches. I should never have let Gillian go." It had been difficult enough to do at the time. Now it could have been the cause of Diana being abducted. "She must be involved."

"Knox was eager for the witch to be interrogated by the congregation. But he couldn't have taken her. Not directly." Baldwin seemed very certain of this. But Peter Knox was sneaky. I doubt he had told the congregation up front why he was so interested in Diana.

"How can you be so sure?" I wouldn't put anything passed Knox.

"Peter Knox doesn't have that kind of power. Doesn't have the ability to fly." Good to know flying wasn't a common power for witches. That at least should narrow my search.

"Who does?" Someone on the congregation did. There were three witches. If Knox couldn't fly, then one of the other two had to have the ability.

Ysabeau and I waited while Baldwin called Peter Knox. Despite Knox denying that he knew who was responsible for Diana's abduction, none of the vampires listening into the phone call believed him. It appeared Knox's new witch had gone rouge. What was she doing with Diana? And who was she working for now if Peter Knox wasn't pulling her strings?

Marthe knew enough about witches to know that even a witch powerful enough to fly, would not be able to travel a great distance. We would have to think like witches if we were going to find Diana. Before we could consider the possibilities, Diana's Aunts called. How was I supposed explain that their niece had been taken while in my care. Sarah was already against my relationship with her niece as it was.

I was not certain of what power's Diana's Aunts had. It seemed Emily was able to see into people's lives. She could see Diana was in danger and was being held in a castle or somewhere that used to be a castle but couldn't give me an exact location. I saw out of the corner of my eye my Mother's expression change. Hastily I hung up the phone after reassuring both Emily and Sarah that I would call them once we got Diana back.

My Mother recalled that Gerbert once had a castle nearby. La Pierre. It was worse than I had feared. If Gerbert was involved, we needed to find Diana now. I couldn't believe it when my Brother suggested we take the helicopter and he would go with me. Time was of the essence and I didn't have time to argue with him.

This had to be the longest helicopter flight of my life. My mind was racing with the possibilities of what Gerbert and Satu could be doing to Diana. I already knew what Gerbert was capable of. My Brother wasn't exactly a calming influence. Even if he had been, it wouldn't have helped. The only thing that was going to put a halt to the rage building in me was Diana safe and back in my arms.

There was nowhere the helicopter could easily land so Baldwin and I would have to jump from the helicopter and when we found Diana, we would meet up with the helicopter on smoother terrain. I would carry Diana depending on what condition she was in when we found her.

The castle's walls had crumbled in some places but there were still plenty of places for someone to hide or God forbid, torture someone. It was Baldwin who discovered the Oubliette where Diana had been thrown. My first instinct was to jump down and get Diana, but as Baldwin quickly pointed out, I would not be able to get back out. An Oubliette was where you put people to forget about them after all.

We would need to rely on Diana's powers to get her out. Powers she didn't know how to use. And we may still have to contend with Gerbert and Satu. Neither of them had shown themselves since our arrival which was probably just as well. The rage I was feeling towards them both would not end well in their case and this would be the one time I wouldn't feel guilty about my actions.

Looking down into the darkness I saw that Diana seemed to be attempting to fly, but was obviously in some pain. Silently, I started praying. I was also hoping that her powers worked as I suspected. As a source of what she needed and right now Diana needed to get out of the Oubliette.

For a moment Diana seemed to stop and collect herself. Then she simply lifted her arms. "Fly." And then she did. Baldwin and I helped her out as she reached us. Clearly she had been injured and using her undeveloped powers to fly had exhausted her. I swung her into my arms and carried her to the helicopter.

The flight back to Sept-Tours only felt slightly shorter than the trip from. We had Diana back but I wanted to make sure that no permanent damage had been done. She was shaking in my arms. I wasn't sure if it was from fear, pain or relief. There was no knowing if Diana would suffer any PTSD right at the moment. Or what form it would take if she did.

My Mother was there to greet us when I helped Diana inside. "I'm glad you're safe. She even looked relieved to see that Diana was alive. Baldwin was keeping quiet so I knew he was biding his time before lecturing me, but right now my only concern was Diana. Her strength amazed me. Anyone would have just crumbled into a hysterical mess. But not my Lioness.

Diana despite what she had been through, thought first of her Aunts, but I reassured her that Isabeau would call them and let them know she was safe. My Mother looked less than thrilled at the idea but she apparently was becoming quite fond of Diana and didn't want her to be further traumatized. "I'll never let you go again." And I meant it.

We moved Diana to my tower to get her cleaned up and so I could check what injuries she had. Nothing appeared broken, but there were a lot of bruises. "How exactly did this happen?" I wanted to tear Satu limb from limb when I heard she had tried to open Diana up.

When I tried to move Diana to the bed, she gasped in pain. Her back was tender and once I had gained her permission to take a look, I cut Diana's top only to find that Satu had branded her. Marthe and my Mother were as shocked as I was to see my insignia burnt into her flesh. When I offered to show Diana what had been done to her, my Mother was oddly protective.

Diana stayed eerily calm which I put down to shock at the sight. "Satu said she was going to open me up. But she didn't" I was so proud of her bravery but confused as to how it was even possible that Satu hadn't succeeded.

Marthe and my Mother helped Diana get cleaned up while I went to get her a hot drink. I took a path that would avoid Baldwin.

She thanked me as I handed her some tea. "Did you kill Gillian?" So that had gotten back to the congregation. Even though it was only slightly true.

"No. But I should have killed her for betraying you. I spared her life. And I will not make the same mistake again. And I will hunt down anyone who wishes to harm you and I will kill them." I need Diana to know I was serious about this. "I told you that."

"I know you told me." She understood. Maybe not completely, but she understood. "Promise me one thing."

"Anything." I would have promised her heaven and earth at the moment.

"You won't go after Satu. I wanna deal with her myself." I don't know how she stayed so calm, but I gave her my word regardless.

Time to deal with Baldwin. I had an ace up my sleeve. The Knights of Lazarus. They would protect her from the congregation. Baldwin had no choice but to accept this. It didn't stop him from throwing at temper tantrum at not being able to take Diana back to Venice to be interrogated by the congregation though.

I saw him out before settling in for the rest of the night with Diana. No one would take her from me again.

"I feel so different. Like I just got air in my lungs." The next morning after a good night's sleep, Diana was more or less back to her old self.

"It's no wonder. You've been liberated." My Mother was never been once to censor herself. "You were spellbound."

The both of us and Marthe had been discussing it as Diana slept. I hadn't wanted to go too far from her side. I needed her . She was my heart. Spellbound was the only possible explanation for Diana's abilities making guest appearances in her life.

"Do you know who could have done this to you Diana?" Marthe had only known of witches who were dangerous that had been spellbound."

"No." Diana looked stunned.

"Do you know what that is?" It was a fair question, considering Diana had told me herself that she couldn't cast spells. She clearly hadn't been taught witchcraft as she had been under the impression she had no skills.

Diana had the same understanding as Marthe, that only witches who were a danger to themselves and others were spellbound. "What am I?"

She was my life. I promised her that together we would find out who had done this to her and why. It seemed the best place to start was with Diana's Aunts. We were going to Madison.


	7. Chapter 7

Family Approval

I had a new appreciation for how Diana must have felt when I took her to Sept-Tours. Meeting her Aunts was nerve wreaking. Not so much Emily, but Sarah had already made it clear that she didn't trust me with her niece. I couldn't really blame her considering Satu had taken Diana from my home.

Our drive was pleasant enough, but I was surprised that Diana's Aunts weren't there to meet us when we arrived. I had phoned them myself so that they knew when we would be there. Diana though had known that they would give us time with the house. Which of course was haunted. I really should have done some research before coming to Madison. Let alone to a witch's house.

It appeared that the house accepted me much to Sarah's disappointment when they arrived. Diana however didn't give her Aunt a chance to begin her rant on the evils of being involved with a vampire. She got straight to the point of asking; actually it was more like demanding if they knew that she had been spellbound.

The guilty look on Emily's face was not what either of us had expected. Nor was the stunned look on Sarah's face that her partner had known and not said anything. That her own Sister had not confided in her before taking such drastic actions.

This was all more than Diana was ready to deal with right now. And who could blame her after all she had been through at Satu's hands. She began to storm out of the house, but Sarah wanted to talk it all out and dissect the situation. "Let her be." I knew Diana needed a moment to sort through this alone.

"Excuse me." Sarah however was not going to be told what to do by a Vampire. Especially where her niece was concerned.

The house took the decision out of everyone's hands. I don't know what I had expected when Diana had said that the house was haunted, but the past being played out before us, wasn't it. It appeared that Diana's Parents had spellbound her to protect her from Peter Knox. The house had seen it all.

This time when Diana stormed off, Sarah didn't try to stop her. She was too stunned herself. I waited until I heard Diana stop running before going after her myself, leaving Emily to deal with a shell-shocked Sarah.

When I reached Diana she had calmed down. She knew her Parents hadn't bound her powers to be cruel; they had done so to protect her. At least now she knew there was nothing wrong with her which was a relief considering it was usually only dangerous witches who were spellbound.

"There's nothing wrong with you Diana." I knew she needed to hear it said out loud. "There never was."

"Normally when you're spellbound, that's it. You're bound for life, until that person sets you free." She obviously knew more about this than how to use her powers or the extent of what her powers were.

"But not you." As with everything else I had discovered about Diana, she was the exception to the rule.

"No, I think they tied it to need. If I were ever in trouble I could still call upon my magic and I wouldn't be alone." But she had been alone for so long. Some of it self imposed. "Matthew, you were in their stories."

"Their spell was somehow tied to me too." There was no other explanation.

"To my need for you." She kissed me as though she needed to prove it, but I already knew. I felt the same way. "They knew I'd fall in love with you."

I wished we could stay this way forever, just the two of us. Wrapped in each other's arms. But we both knew trouble was coming and we needed to be ready for it and the house had given us a clue. Clearly even Diana's Parents knew that Knox was trouble and couldn't be trusted.

Later I sat at the kitchen table trying to convince Sarah that Diana needed to learn defensive spells as soon as possible. She fought me on it of course. Now I knew where Diana got her stubbornness from. The spells we were looking at were child's play and utterly useless against someone like Peter Knox and whomever he had working for him.

Sarah wanted to start at the beginning in order to teach Diana control. But I knew that we didn't have enough time to do that. Besides Diana had so much natural talent that it seemed pointless. Her magic surged from her when it was needed the most.

In the end Diana herself settled our argument. Sarah would start at the beginning and teach her how to control her magic and I would teach her defensive skills. But it was Emily who gave me a clue on how we could best keep Diana safe.

We were talking in the kitchen while Sarah and Diana were working. I was admiring a box I had found. It was very old, an antique really. Emily seemed impressed at the accuracy of my guess regarding the timeframe of the box. That's when she told me a bit about Diana's Father.

Diana's Father was a time walker. What if Diana had inherited both her Parent's powers? If she had, then she could go where Peter Knox couldn't find her. I was starting to form a plan when I heard Diana and Sarah arguing. Then Diana simply disappeared.

"Diana." I walked into the living room hoping she hadn't gone far. "Diana!"

"What if it was Satu? We don't know how powerful she is." Sarah's concern was valid.

"Quiet." I couldn't hear Diana's heartbeat, but I was certain Satu hadn't taken Diana this time. Besides, at least one of us needed to stay calm. Then I heard her. She was fine, if a little surprised. "I can hear her. She's alright." I raced out to the barn and found Diana looking around her surroundings looking stunned. "What just happened?"

"I don't know. I needed to step outside to get some air and then bam, I was here." Apart from being a little stunned, Diana was completely fine.

"Do you think you might have just time walked?" If she had, the plan I had just been forming had every chance of working. Diana didn't look too convinced. "I mean it. You weren't there. You certainly weren't here otherwise I would have heard your heart beating."

"But time walking. I mean, even if I could, I wouldn't know how I did it." Did she not know about her Father's abilities?

"Well, you do know your Father was a time walker." It was as if I had just given her the world with this information. I had given her a link to the Father she had lost when she was so young. Some part of him that she shared. We stayed in the barn a little longer before heading inside to reassure Diana's Aunts that she was fine.

I had chosen to wait until it was dark to work on Diana's defensive skills. She could already sense when I was watching her. Now we needed to expand on that. I raced passed her in the woods. "You need to sense where the danger is more quickly."

She knew when I was close but not sensing it quick enough. "What's the one constant when your powers worked? Need. Simple instinctive need. You weren't thinking, you were feeling." This time when I raced passed her, I was a little too close and knocked her off her feet.

"Ow, shit." She let out an embarrassed chuckle, cradling her hand which was grazed.

"You're bleeding." How could I have hurt her?

"I'm fine." Why wasn't she running from me?

"I won't harm you." At least no more than I already had.

"Look at you." She waved her inured hand at me. Taunting me.

"Don't Diana." I needed to keep myself under control. But her blood sang to me. I needed to move away from her so that the danger wasn't me.

"No, look. I have an idea. Do you remember that night at the riverbank? When you said to me 'Move passed me slowly.' You said 'Do not run.'" She had me backed up against a tree, seemingly unaware of how much danger she was putting herself in.

I couldn't stop the growl erupting from deep within my chest as she laughed and ran from me. Instinct kicked in as I swore under my breath and raced after her. Just as I leapt at her, she launched into the air. "I guess I just needed a little more danger." She was having fun.

My lioness. She was amazing. The beast within me receded as I watched her float in the air for a moment before sinking back to the ground a little too fast. "Careful, it's your first landing. Careful!" I tried to catch her, but she knocked us both to the ground.

Diana playfully pinned my wrists to the ground even though I had the strength to easily break her hold. But when she kissed me, I couldn't keep myself from breaking free and getting us back to the house as soon as possible. By the time we got inside we were all but tearing each other's clothes off. Any concern of what Diana's Aunts might hear or be thinking flew out of my head with her wrapped around me as I carried her up the stairs leaving a trail of clothes behind us. I would need to come back downstairs later to pick up the evidence, not that I thought we were fooling Diana's Aunts in the least.

Those gasps of pleasure that Diana let out at every touch of my lips and hands left me harder than a rock. I could spend several lifetimes worshipping her body. As we lay in bed later wrapped in each other's arms, I knew she needed to know about the other women. I was already too far gone. She was the only one for me. But there was still time for her.

"What's wrong?" She caressed my face instinctively reading me. How did she do that?

"There were two women. Two human women. Not like this, not like us." Thank God. If they had been like Diana it would have completely destroyed me when it all went to Hell. "But I did love them. And I told each of them they were safe with me. I even believed it." But they hadn't been. I had been wrong. "If I ever harmed you ..." The thought alone was too much to bear.

"Shh. Matthew, you will never harm me. You're not human and powerful and you won't hurt me because you don't want to. You can't. I won't let you." She was so sure of herself. I hoped she was right as I kissed her forehead. It almost calmed me. She was so strong, but was I?

Miriam and Marcus arrived the next morning much to Sarah's annoyance, but Emily as always was welcoming. It was a tense meeting in the living room with Witches on one side and Vampires on the other side. Marcus and Emily trading friendly banter. Miriam and Sarah trading snide remarks and insults. Finally the house itself felt the need to intervene. It practically threw an envelope at Sarah.

Inside it was one of the missing pages from the Book of Life. Had it been here the whole time hidden in plain sight or in the safekeeping of the house? It was enough to keep Sarah and Miriam from squabbling for a moment or two at least. I wasn't sure how long that would last though. Best to make the best of it while it lasted. There were a lot of strong women in a house with a strong personality of it's own.

Diana had recognised her Father's handwriting on the envelope which had been addressed to her. Perhaps he was the reason that only Diana could summon the manuscript. There seemed only one possibility to me which I chose not to mention until Diana's Aunts were out of earshot. It had been Diana's Father's handwriting in Ashmole 782 alongside Ashmole's inscription. She hadn't realised it at the time, but now it was in context, it made perfect sense. "I think he wants you to have the Book of Life. Every last page." We were one step closer and it appeared Diana's Father was leading the way.


End file.
